


seeing in your eyes what you’re thinking

by softtofustew



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bodyguard!Sungjin, Day6 - Freeform, Fluff, Humour, M/M, Parkbros, Sexual Tension, Singer!Jae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-08-14 05:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16486718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softtofustew/pseuds/softtofustew
Summary: after a stalking case, singer-songwriter jae hires sungjin as his bodyguard - neither know what is to come for the both of them. the two intertwine in their own way as they uncover the stalker and break the silence between the both of them.





	1. don’t overthink how we started

**Author's Note:**

> title: silence by before you exit //
> 
> (1) hi! it’s! my! first! parkbros! fic!
> 
> (2) there’s a thread for additional notations posted prior to this fic on my twitter account. feel free to look at them: https://twitter.com/softtofustew_/status/1057906449353830401
> 
> (3) feel free to leave your feedback on this first chapter heh

for the  _ nth _ time that morning, jimin casts a look at jae from across the powder room, wringing her hands together. the bangles on her wrists clink together lightly. “jae, are you really sure you want to-”

“-jiminnie,” jae sighs in response. he's sat at the coffee table, sprawled across the couch. one arm covers his line of vision, thrown over his eyes, his long legs spilling past the armrest of the couch. “i said what i said. don't get me wrong, i'm anxious too, but i don't want to be scared of the world.”

clicking her tongue, jae's manager glances at the clock on the wall. “he should be here in ten minutes,” she mutters under her breath. 

don't get jae wrong - he absolutely adores his manager to bits, but ever since that night he headed home alone last week, jimin's been at the edge of her damned seat, insisting for him to get home in that damned limousine with that damned driver back to his damned home. and don't get jae wrong - he adores the lavish lifestyle as the nation's rising singer, but he fucking hates this. 

the anxiety. the overprotectiveness.

“jimin, there's literally nothing to worry about. the dude's resume looked legit, and he looks nothing like the man who stalked me home last week, okay?” jae snaps a little, because jimin is being far too worrisome for something so trivial. “if you're so worried, you can take a look at it again.”

with that, jimin rolls her eyes. “you just want to hire him ‘cause you think he's hot.”

as if struck by lightning, jae scrambles to sit up straight and glare at the smirk now growing across his manager's gloating face. “yah, he's hot. so what?”

“you're hiring him because you'll be spending all your days together, and because he's hot, the both of you are going to sex each other up before every single promo show-”

“-blah blah blah,” jae cuts in. now it's his turn to roll his eyes. “you make it sound like i'm trapped in a novel controlled by a stereotypical author.”

jimin shrugs. swinging one leg around the chair, she scrambles to her feet, arms crossed over her chest. “because it sounds typical: nation's favourite singer-songwriter hires hunky bodyguard; falls in love with manly muscle.”

heat rushes to jae's cheeks as he, too, gets to his feet. “hey, you never know - maybe he's not actually that built. i mean, have you seen this lean piece of shit?” with that, he gestures down at his lanky body. “i can black belt karate chop you in half.”

“obviously the skinny ones will sign up to bodyguard other skinny people; makes a lot of sense,” jimin cackles aloud, but before jae can think up of something relatively snappy, the door to the powder room slowly creaks open, revealing a familiar face. 

jae's stylist clears his throat. “jae, jimin: he's here. the… bodyguard?” sammy announces. he's slightly flushed red, smile strained. jae's eyes narrow into slits.

“why are you so red?” jimin beats jae to the question. sammy looks like a deer caught in the headlights, eyes wide. perhaps it's the oversized knit sweater sammy has on, but with the air-conditioning turned down so low in midsummer weather, his clothing doesn't speak for much. 

sammy parts his lips, before closing them. opens them again. “i think… i think you'll know why.” that said, he shoved the mahogany wood door open, gesturing for someone to enter.

and then  _ he _ enters. 

_ holy shit shitting in shit, _ jae almost shrieks aloud at the sight of him. his face is almost identical to the face plastered on the resume, except instead of hair flopping past his eyes, his head bears a fuzz of hair, shaved down to the roots. somehow, the man looks even hotter, the way the shaved head defines his eyebrows and set jaw and the grim line of his lips. when jae's eyes travel lower, he has to bite down on his lower lip. he's clearly dressed to kill, the crisp white shirt taut, navy blue tie adorning his neck all the way to his full hips. jae swears the man's slacks are a size too small, because no way in hell are they supposed to show his cr-

_ get your head out of the gutter _ , park, he admonishes himself. a second passes.  _ oh, fuck me. _

“morning, mr park,” the man greets formally, offering a small grin. jae practically falls head over heels at the small upturn of the man's lips. 

“you're hired,” jae blurts out abruptly, failing to register the words before allowing them out. a hush suddenly falls over the four. sammy gawks at jae, jimin's jaw almost clatters to the ground. the man, on the other hand, looks amused. 

“i've only said three words, sir,” the man offers, chuckling a little. his voice is gravelly the edges. jae tries not to be obvious as he carefully grips the armrest of the couch.  _ lord give me strength. _

jimin clears her throat, desperate the break the tension lingering over all of them. “sungjin park, if you could just follow me to the interview room,” she announces a little louder than she should, her obvious distress displayed across her face. still amused, sungjin casts jae a smile before following jimin out the door. as soon as the door is shut, jae slumps down onto the couch. a dazed expression has etched itself in jae's face. 

sammy scratches the nape of his neck. “jae? really? 'you're hired’?” sammy mutters irately. “you basically just screamed, 'i haven't been dicked down in uni so how about i hire you to suck my cock’!” he throws his arms out on either side of him, exasperated. “next thing you know, he tweets about those two words and you're stuck in hell.”

jae smiles dreamily. “did you see him, sammy? he looks so. hot. that suit is illegal on him.”

sammy rolls his eyes, before exiting the room, mumbling about something concerning “he always never listens to me, fuck it”, leaving jae grinning at himself and already fantasizing about the park sungjin.

 

**_______________**

 

half an hour later, jimin strolls in. as soon as she enters, she flings the file onto the coffee table and throws her hand up into the air. “i don't get it.”

from where he's sat watching an anime, jae quirks an eyebrow. his eyes are still glued onto the phone screen. “what is?”

jimin plops herself down onto the armchair opposite, smoothing her blouse. “he's… interesting. he seems to know a lot about you. scratch that - it's like he's lived with you for ten years now.”

startled, jae prods on the pause button and swivels his head towards jimin. “really? what did you ask?”

“your favourite restaurant, your favourite artists at the moment - which change, like, every week; whether you sleep face-down or face-up, the brand of your freakin’ foam cleanser!” jimin gasps. “what if he's the stalker from last week?!”

for the nth time, jae sighs deeply. “jiminnie, i know it's not him. the stalker was, like, much taller than him. and lankier. this dude's built like a hunk of muscle.” a sly grin spreads across his face, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “a hot hunk of muscle, by the way.”

disgusted, jimin sticks her tongue out. “is that all you've been thinking about this whole time?”

“maybe?” jae grins. he shifts in his seat so he's sat upright, phone placed onto the couch. “besides, all that shit information is on my webpage. and i update my twitter account every day. he's probably just testing himself to get the job.”

jimin shrugs her shoulders again. 

“soooooooo,” jae chews on his lower lip. “he's hired?”

“yes, you hormonal teen. please try not to beg him to eat your ass out while he's staying with you,” jimin rolls her eyes dramatically, before pulling her phone out of the front pocket of her jeans and tapping away at the screen. she has to refrain herself from keeling over as she spies jae actually doing a fist pump in the air out of the corner of her eye.

 

**_______________**

 

for the first time in a long time, jae's whipping the broom and dustpan around his six-month-old house. not really one for maids, jae dusts the guest room, a mere door away from his bedroom, and replaces the bedsheets. fills the cupboards and fridge with all kinds of foods, ranging from potato chips to virtually a dozen types of fruits. other than himself, no one else lives with him - he's got jimin half a block away, and on call, but that's about it. 

just as jae pulls a fresh tee over his head, the doorbell rings - once, twice. one long buzz. “wait up!” jae hollers at the tops of his lungs. hurriedly, he yanks on his sweatpants, hair still dripping damp from his shower as he races to the doorway. he wrenches the front door open. 

before him is jimin, accompanied by sungjin behind her. this time, he's dressed in a white tee and denim jeans. a snapback covers his head. jae prays to god that neither of them catch him gripping the door till his knuckles turn white. 

“hey, jimin. sungjin,” jae plasters on what he hopes is a nonchalant grin, before ushering them in. “welcome to the haven, i guess.”

with his bags in tow, sungjin glimpses around at his surroundings soundlessly. they walk down a hallway before emerging in the state-of-the-art living room, the brand new couch facing the sixty inch television, chandelier dangling overhead. lavish lifestyle, sungjin thinks to himself. 

“if you turn right, it's the guest room,” jae offers, gesturing to the door. “that's where you'll be staying. i'm just opposite.” with that, he waves a hand at the door opposite. “we passed the door to the kitchen on our way here. there's a bathroom on this floor. upstairs is a gym, gaming room and another bathroom.”

jimin whistles lowly, even though she's been here countless times. “as expected from the house of our nation's best singer-songwriter, huh,” she comments lightly, earning a chuckle from sungjin. jae melts. 

as sungjin pokes his nose into the guest room, jimin takes ahold of jae's sleeve and drags him into the kitchen. “you sure you're okay with him as your bodyguard? he hasn't talked, like, at all. it was the awkwardest bus ride i've ever had in my entire life,” she winces, as if the pain was really physical. jae howls with laughter. 

“ _ please _ . i can take silence. plus, i'm sure to get a sound out of him some way or another.” to further emphasise on the insinuation, jae winks at his manager, earning him a grumble. 

“keep your dick in your pants while he's here - actually, do whatever the hell you want with him. he's so stoned, i think he wouldn't realise if you rode him while he's in bed reading a novel about philosophy or something. anything, as long as it's kept between the both of you.” she throws a glare at jae, who simply laughs and snorts in agreement. 

as soon as jimin is showed out of the door, jae swivels around to hear the heavy footsteps of his newly hired (hot and hunky) bodyguard walk down the hallway. “anything you need, sir?”

jae chokes on air. he coughs violently for a fleeting moment, before regaining his composure. holy shit. “please, don't call me sir. call me anything else but sir.”

“alright, anything else but sir,” sungjin responds casually. his lips curl into a grin - jae swears the temperature wasn't this high until a moment ago. 

“you're really something, aren't you,” jae mumbles under his breath as he stalks past him, sungjin hot on his heels. “and by the way, i don't need anything else at the moment. just fit yourself into the surroundings first, i guess."

sungjin frowns. “it's nearing six. i could cook dinner.”

jae furrows his eyebrows. “wait… do bodyguards usually cook  _ dinners _ for their clients? i'm not used to this bodyguard protocol.” it would be nice, though. the last time he tried grilling up some  _ bulgogi _ , it almost started a fire in the kitchen, thus almost made it to the headlines. goddammit. 

“not sure,” sungjin raises his left shoulder in a shrug. “i used to work as a security guard. the pay was okay, but my friend recommended me this job. it's my first time, too.”

slowly processing everything, jae nods his head. “what can you cook?”

sungjin taps a forefinger to his chin playfully, as if in deep thought. it takes every ounce of energy not to pounce onto sungjin and kiss the life out of him. jesus. calm down, whoremones. it's barely been twenty-four hours with him. “i can make some killer spaghetti?”

“sold,” jae smirks, which makes sungjin wink at him and strut off into the kitchen. jae tries not to stare at sungjin's ass, but there it is. 

 

**_______________**

 

it's past midnight when the storm sets in. jae's bundled up in blankets on his bed, quivering slightly. jimin's right: despite the small chitter before sungjin had begun cooking in the kitchen, conversation hadn't persisted. dinner over the dining table was hushed, only the clinking of silverware audible in the tense silence. they'd resigned to their designated areas for the evening - jae holed up in his room, practising for his comeback in two weeks’ time and hosting a live video, sungjin heading for the gym to try out the equipment. 

frankly, jae would've liked to sneakily walk past the gym on the way to the bathroom as a sorry excuse, but refrained himself - he wasn't ready to really invade someone's me time like that, no matter how hot the hunk was. 

however, the rain that had once been a light drizzle was now falling in a heavy uniformed rhythm. pitter patter pitter patter. it fell on the windowsills and roof overhead noisily, like consistent crashes. the sudden rumble of thunder scared jae to bits. 

jae's not just scared - he's  _ terrified _ out of his skin. the storm's easily one of the worst so far since he's been here. usually, he'd be fast asleep by this time in the wee hours of night, but he and his stupid ass had decided to stay up and finish off the anime before the rain had started pouring in torrents. 

his heart pounds heavily against his ribcage, as heavily as the rain rushing down outside. the wind howled like dogs, the loud whooshing of trees and bushes breaking the supposedly quiet silence of the night. 

before he can second guess his options, jae tiptoes out of his bedroom, across the corridor in all its darkness. still shaking in jitters, jae knocks the door to the guest room. “s-sungjin?” jae stammers, his teeth chattering. it's horribly humiliating enough that he's struck as a scaredy-cat within twelve hours under the same roof, but the thunder and lightning outside will do the exact opposite of lulling him to sleep. 

the door is immediately yanked open, revealing a shirtless sungjin, wide-eyed. “is something wrong?” he presses. 

jae takes, perhaps a moment or two, to realise that sungjin's asking him a question while staring at him bug-eyed, because jae's own eyes can't tear away from the person laid before him. the broad slope of sungjin's shoulders, teemed with his toned arms and broad chest. the grey sweatpants are clearly old, hugging his full hips just snug. the line of hair running down past the hem of his pants-

“jae?” sungjin asks again. jae's snapped out of his daze and meets sungjin's concerned eyes. “what's wrong? is there an intruder?”

“n-no,” jae fumbles over the word. he fiddles with his thumbs. despite being a good few inches taller, he feels small before sungjin, the way the other looks at jae. “it sounds stupid…”

creases form upon sungjin's forehead. “what is?”

“i'm scared of the storm outside,” jae blurts out. he bites down on his lower lip, his left eye twitching nervously. “do you mind, i don't know, being with me? till the storm stops?”

to jae's initial surprise, sungjin simply nods his head, before turning to switch off his room's air-conditioning and lights. the realisation dawns upon him that he's literally _paid_ sungjin to guard him wherever he goes, whatever the situation. jae likes to think that he's a scared man, and his boyfriend is going to come over and cuddle with him and lull him to sleep.

that's his dream, and reality is different as sungjin settles down onto the mattress beside jae. there's _at least_ a foot of space between them as sungjin shifts in his seat. “how would you like me to calm you down?” sungjin questions casually. 

“you being here is good enough,” jae mutters. there comes no response from sungjin, but the bodyguard reaches over the bedside table to retrieve the tv remote and turn on the smaller telly hung on jae's wall, facing the bed. it's switched on immediately, and jae instantly recognises the movie: fame & flaws. it's the movie that skyrocketed in the charts ever since its release about three months ago, starring the famous singer youngk as the main lead. 

“you watched this before?” jae asks sungjin, in an attempt to start up some small talk. 

“no,” sungjin replies matter-of-factly, and nothing more. 

jae sighs internally. “do you usually watch movies?”

“no time,” sungjin states.

silence envelopes the two, and jae gives up on small talk. clearly, the guy's hot and close to mute. brilliant. he turns his attention to the movie, the one he's watched a good number of times, mainly because youngk is  _ smoking hot _ in a suit. he's only briefly met him once backstage at a promotion show, despite being in the same music industry. whilst youngk may be gorgeous and gorgeously single, jae hasn't really had much time to catch up with the guy himself. 

onscreen, the scene unfolds. jae instantly recognises it as the sex scene, the one with an up-and-coming actor called wonpull or wonpick or some name along the lines. as youngk shrugs his blazer off, jae feels his chest tighten. furtively, he casts a sideways glance at sungjin. 

_ what the hell? _ jae thinks. unconsciously, he stares at sungjin's crotch. not a single reaction. jae has to shift his position so as to hide his own crotch under the thick bedsheets swathing him. 

it's awkward watching a sex scene with someone you barely know. it's even more awkward watching a sex scene with someone like sungjin. there's literally not a word from the man's lips. 

jae tries not to be obvious as he gets his teeth together. how the hell is this guy not responding to anything? is he a flaming straight? but there has to be some sort of reaction to this, right?  _ maybe jimin's right _ , jae thinks.  _ maybe if i suck his dick he probably won't even blink.  _

_ shit… that rhymed. _

“please, bribri,” onscreen wonpick pleads. the scene is so explicit even jae can't form words in his brain. he's watched this scene so many times it should be illegal. quietly, jae adjusts the blankets more strategically over his crotch. 

all of a sudden, sungjin's voice cracks the silence. “the storm's getting lighter. i should leave you alone.” before jae can protest, sungjin gives a small nod at jae, then struts out of the room, leaving jae horny and even more confused than ever before. 

 

**_______________**

 

he's awoken the following morning by a sharp rap at his door. 

jae grumbles, eyes still shut in sleepiness as he rolls over in his bed. he adjusts the blankets so as to completely smother himself in the sheet, leaving space only to breathe. the knocking pauses, only to pound heavier against the door this time. “mr park? are you awake?” comes the shrill from the other side of the door. 

tired out of his wits from being unable to fall asleep till 2AM, jae groans aloud, voice hoarse, before sleep overrules his body again. just as he’s about to sink back into his dream (in which he’s sipping on fruit cocktails with youngk by the beach… in their full suits and microphones in hand - god knows if common sense exists in his many, many dreams), there’s a burst as the door is shoved wide open, letting in the warm air gushing into the bedroom.

“go awayyy,” jae mumbles, screwing his eyes shut. 

looming beside his bed, sungjin folds his arms across his chest. through the cracks of vision, jae makes out a blurry sungjin in a blurry band tee and blurry jeans and blurry everything. “jimin rang me up earlier. said that you have a fitting for tonight’s party or something along those lines,” he states - it might just be the longest conversation with the guy already, jae muses.

“jiminnie?” jae asks subconsciously. honestly, he’s slipping back into his sleep once again, the tiredness of his eyelids succumbing to dreamland. “w-when did she…”

his voice trails off, and before either of them knows it, he’s fast asleep again. his breaths are punctuated by the occasional grunt, resulting in sungjin rolling his eyes at his client. 

before jae can truly slip away, he's awoken again by the sudden coldness of the air-conditioning hitting the bare skin of his shirtless self. “what the-” he actually, really screams as sungjin scoops him up bridal-style in his arms, the blankets falling to the bed as sungjin traipses out of the room, jae in his arms. “sungjin! hey! get me down!”

“jimin insists on taking extra measures to wake you up,” sungjin protests calmly. he strides out of the room, down the corridor. to be fair, it's 10 in the morning and jae's already swooning over how strong sungjin's arms are as they hold jae. he can feel the contracting and relaxing of the muscles stretched taut under the skin. he tries not to wobble on his footing as sungjin gently places him down in front of the bathroom door. 

“there,” sungjin nods to the bathroom. “i packed breakfast on the go; you can eat in the car later. jimin wants you over by 10:45AM sharp.”

jae scratches his neck. “what's it for again?”

sungjin shoots him a weird look. “fitting for the costume music fusion night. it's tonight,” he explains slowly. oh, right. jae forgot about that. the costume music fusion night's an annual formal event set up for all the rising and hit singers and bands to get together and mingle - jimin had mentioned that it was great to gain a bit of recognition from idols of other nations, and this was the perfect event to do so. 

“what am i dressed as again?” jae asks. 

sungjin ponders for a moment, before remembering. “you're dressed as a grim reaper.”

jae raises his eyebrows. “well, you have convinced me-”

“-all i stated were facts-"

“-which have convinced me enough.” jae is confident enough this morning to offer a suave smile at his bodyguard before wrenching the bathroom door open. “i'll get going now, then.” he hums to himself as he shuts the bathroom door behind him, not realising the small smile of amusement settling across sungjin's face. 

neither of them expects it to be one loooooong night. 

  
  



	2. knew from the second you walked in

the strobe lights cast shadows amongst the throng of people milling about in the dining hall of the soul hotel, all decked out in costumes of all sorts, ranging from fantasy creatures to movie characters. jae leans back onto the marble drinks counter, overlooking the scene: people from the music and film industries, all deep in conversation and jamming away to the heavy bass pounding from the speakers. he takes another sip of the soda in his hand.

courtesy of sammy and his styling, jae’s dressed like a grim reaper out of a fantasy book for kids: he’s flanked out head to toe in black, hood pulled up and over his head, green contacts for good measure. his slacks are slightly too short, the skin at his ankles hidden by the laced up boots. one hand holds his drink, whilst the other grips onto a makeshift scythe, green orb at the tip.

it’s been barely ten minutes and jae already feels out of place. other than the odd back-slap or formal greeting, jae barely knows most of the celebrities here - he’s more focused on the music rather than the industry, per say, so he’s a little taken aback when a figure notices him and begins to stride towards his direction.

“mr park,” youngk grins widely. jae grips the scythe tighter.

the guy from onscreen yesterday has his blonde hair slicked back, eyeshadow heavy, lips slashed with blood red lipstick. a little red line drips from the corner of his lips, drawn purposefully. his seventeenth-century outfit screams his character within a split second of a glance.

jae musters a smile. “mr kang. or should i say,  _ vampirek _ ?” he chuckles, though he hopes it doesn’t sound too forced. 

he earns a laugh from the other. _ oh, dammit _ , jae thinks. he’s falling for way too many people in a span of a mere few days. youngk’s laughs gradually ebbs away. “nice one. i haven’t heard that one before. and i’m guessing you’re the grim reaper?” when jae nods his head subtly, youngk flashes a toothy smile, showing off the fangs he’s put on specially for the nightly event. “cool. you look good with green eyes, by the way.”

jae smothers his nerves by taking a big swig of the drink in his hand. “thanks,” he manages to blurt out, before he downs the rest of his drink. when jae finally puts the glass down, youngk’s staring at him, a bemused expression on his face.

before the awkwardness of the situation can take a toll on jae, the young barista at the counter clears his throat. startled, jae swivels around to meet the young boy, black hair peeking out from under his cap. the name  _ dowoon _ is printed across his nametag pinned to his black apron. “sorry, sir, would you like me to refill your drink?” he offers earnestly, gesturing to the empty glass on the sleep counter.

nodding furiously in response, jae echoes his drink before turning back to youngk. “where were we...?” he asks, a bit too eagerly.

a smug grin plasters itself across youngk’s lips. “we’re at the part where i ask if we could dance together.” as if on cue, a slow song croons from the speakers overhead. jae flushes deeply, the colour on his cheeks almost rivalling the fake blood on the other’s lips. 

out of the corner of his eye, jae catches sight of sungjin. dressed in his normal suit, he has his arms folded across his chest, scanning the surroundings. a part of jae wants to trot over to him to keep him company, but the thought is banished once he remembers that sungjin’s his bodyguard; he’s supposed to stay alert. his gaze falls back onto a hopeful youngk, to whom he shrugs at and replies, “i’m not great, though.”

“so?” youngk chuckles. his hand reaches out for jae’s, fingers calloused from years of playimg the bass. “i’m not that great, either.” before jae can protest, his scythe is placed against the counter, amd he’s dragged out to the dance floor, where other people have already paired off and are now showing off graceful waltzes. 

“please,” jae rolls his eyes. “i’ve seen you in fame & flaws. you dance like a fucking pro.”

youngk laughs. jae barely even realises his hands are on youngk’s waist. no one around them notices, given the absence of the reporters and paparazzi in the room. knowing the both of their sexualities, it doesn’t surprise anyone at how close the two are as they slowly sink into the slow song.

the light bounces off of youngk’s irises. “oh? so you’ve watched fame & flaws? how was it?” jae swears he catches the hint of a smirk lining the other’s lips. the cheek of him.

“pretty good, though i think the main lead’s kind of out of my league.” oh god. what was  _ in _ that drink? where’s all this confidence surging from? but it  _ must _ be doing something, because youngk’s hips are practically pressing against jae’s.  _ please don’t get a hard-on, please don’t get a hard-on, please don’t get a- _

youngk hums. “but you keep watching nevertheless? i wonder why?” 

heat courses in jae’s veins as they take careful steps on the dance floor, shoes making clear click clack noises against the tiled floor. “i wonder, too.”

“perhaps there’s a particular scene or two that appeals to you?” youngk prods, his voice having taken a lower register. jae blushes. he doesn’t even deny it.

“perhaps,” jae murmurs. the song is long, drawn out, and the two sway to the melody. awkward, yes, but the tension between the two is nothing awkward, if not heated and thrumming vibrantly. jae almost keels over as youngk draws closer, lips only a few inches apart.

a small smile finds its way across his cheeks. “you wanna know something?” jae doesn’t even notice that he’s nodding, until the other adds, “i’ve kind of been thinking a lot about someone after seeing him backstage once. you think he’s in my league?”

shit, jae thinks. shit shit shittity shit, oh god. “hm?” his throat is as dry as the sahara desert.

youngk flashes a chesire cat smile. the hands around his neck begins playing with jae’s black hood at the nape of his neck. “i mean, he’s kinda hot. you think i should give him my number?”

jae practically forgets that they’re in a room. a room full of at least a hundred other well-known artists and actors and whatnot. a room full of onlookers, cameras or not. “youngk-”

“-english name’s brian,” he persists. their footwork is getting sloppier with every bit closer they get. the gap between them is almost non-existent at this point. 

“brian, i-i don’t know what to say,” jae stutters. his stomach coils as the song gradually ends. ever so slowly, their hands skim past skin before landing back on their sides, yet brian’s still staring at jae with something else in his eyes, something jae hardly ever sees in people. (objectively speaking, he hasn’t exactly gotten on with anyone else in a long time.)

brian cocks his head. “you don’t have to say anything.” with that, he retrieves a business card from the pocket of cloak. at this moment, jae realises this whole thing must be staged, for brian’s personal number is scribbled in black pen underneath his name on the card. his heart pounds harder against his chest.

the next time jae peers back up, brian pats a hand on jae’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, before stalking off. jae’s stunned speechless. back at the drinks counter, he slides into a booth seat quietly, still in a daze.

he’s only snapped out of it when sungjin plops down into the seat beside jae. before sungjin can get a word out, jae swivels the chair to face the other, eyes wide, sweat dotted on his forehead. his hair is a mess under the hood. “sungjin, i need your advice.”

sungjin furrows his eyebrows. “i’m your bodyguard, not your therapist,” he points out. jae’s almost surprised to see a smirk on sungjin’s face, but he pushes the thought away. his mind is swirling with brian and only brian.

“sungjin, i just got youngk’s number.  _ the _ kang younghyun, the kang of all kangs. holy shit.” he almost tears his hair off of his scalp. “i can’t believe this. can you believe this?”

the other keeps a straight face. “you do know he could be giving you his contact number for a chance at a collaboration with you, right?” he quirks an eyebrow. “it could just be for work purposes.”

“but he gave me his personal number,” jae sighs deeply, stars sewn into his eyes. he stuffs the namecard into the inner pocket sewn into the black robe. “sungjin, can you be-”

unfortunately, he’s cut off from his rambling by the barista at the counter. the shy-looking, doe-eyed dowoon is replaced by a stern-looking man in his late thirties, goatee at his chin, eyes dead with emotion. “your drink, mr park?” the man slides a glass across the counter in jae’s direction, and jae catches it before it tips over the edge. 

jae squints at the fellow. the tall man has no name tag pinned to his apron, and his shirt underneath is wrinkled to no end. he brushes the thought off, instead plastering on a grin and responding with a “thanks, man”.

but just as jae brings the glass to his parched lips, a hand comes down firmly on his wrist. “jae!” sungjin hisses. astonished by the other’s sudden rash movement, the glass slips from his slender fingers, before crashing to the tiled floor. 

the room falls silent, save for the pop song streaming from the speakers. everyone’s eyes turn to their direction. mortified, jae glances around the room furtively, eyes wide, before turning to fall on sungjin’s expression. he’s stunned to see him, his eyes narrowed, full of concern.

“sungjin, what-”

sungjin shushes him. even as a moment passes, the people around them are still staring at them. it dawns upon jae - they’re waiting for the next move, who’s going to apologise, who’s going to forgive. shivers run up and down jae’s spine as his eyes search for an answer in sungjin’s own. 

sungjin’s lips mouth the words.  _ we need to get out of here. _

_ but everyone’s looking at us! _

_ do something, dumbass. _

jae’s mind runs, and somehow lands back into fame & flaws from yesterday night, when onscreen brian kisses wonpick or wonpull or whatever the fuck that guy’s name was on set. they’d kissed, yes, yet the underlying motive was interesting: the plot intended for them to kiss to escape from aroused suspicion in a bank they were going to rob.

not a single ounce of hesitation lies in jae’s fibres as he leans forward, hands darting out to cup sungjin’s cheeks. he catches the look of bewilderment in the other’s eyes before he smashes their lips together, teeth almost knocking against each other. loud hoots ring out from the crowd as jae kisses sungjin long and hard, and he kisses him harsher when he feels  _ sungjin kissing him back.  _

the kiss is nothing sweet or saccharine, just lips devouring the other’s taste. sungjin’s own hands skim jae’s back. the hood is knocked off of jae’s head. jae’s fingers curl around sungjin’s shoulders, wrinkling the shirt, but  _ what the hell, _ because sungjin tastes like soda and chips and everything else in between, lips soft and pink and addictively good. 

jae would’ve straddled sungjin’s hips and rode him out if the other hadn’t pulled back and managed to breathe out a “get going, now.” his voice cracks from the sudden rush of emotions. jae’s heart has never raced any faster as the two of them dart out of the room, the cracked grass crunching under their shoes as they slip out of the doorway, leaving everyone else confused, puzzled, but nevertheless warm and soft as they burst into euphoria about the kiss.

behind the counter, someone, too, slinks away, disappearing amongst the team of baristas, out the back door.

 

**_______________**

 

“sungjin, what the hell was that-”

“-just get the fuck in,” sungjin hisses, which catches jae off guard as he’s practically shoved into private car sungjin had driven jae in specifically for the party. he hurriedly straps himself in whilst sungjin almost tears the driver’s door open and slides into the seat. “for fuck’s sake,” he mumbles under his breath as he turns the keys in the ignition and reverses the car.

utterly confused (and, also, horny from the kiss, but that’s beside the point at the moment), jae smacks his lips together. “so,” jae begins tentatively, careful not to piss his bodyguard off, “firstly, i’m sorry about that… uh, y’know, just now. It was an impulsive decision, i swear. and, uh, secondly, where are we going? what happened back there that made you hit-”

he’s cut off by sungjin shushing him loudly, startling jae out of his wits. with every passing second, jae’s heart pounds harder and harder against his chest. the air in the vehicle has become uneasy, especially when the car squeaks to a halt at a red light and sungjin turns to face jae, look him straight in the bullseye. 

his lips part, then move. no sound is heard. _ don’t talk. _

jae furrows his eyebrows. what luck that he’s not exactly the best at reading lips.  _ what? why? _ _   
_

_ i think we’re being eavesdropped on. _

_ what? leaves popped??? _

sungjin rolls his eyes almost animatedly, which is undoubtedly cute -  _ god, jae, one track mind, please _ . he grows even more puzzled as sungjin uncaps the pen in his pocket, yanks a piece of paper from the notebook in his shirt pocket, and hurriedly scribbles something down, just as the traffic light turns green. as the car takes off again, sungjin shoves the wad of paper into jae’s open palm. frowning, jae glimpses down at it and reads the hasty handwriting.

_ don’t talk. i think we’re being eavesdropped on. _

goosebumps rise all along jae’s arms, despite the stuffy grim reaper costume. he’s so tempted to let the questions at the tip of his tongue spill past his lips, but he clamps them shut with much force and effort. silence falls, quieter than the night outside, so sungjin turns to crank the volume of the radio up just to release some of the thick tension in the air. big. mistake.

“gooood evening, folks! welcome to our ten o’clock evening news. i’m your host, kevin wooooo and now it’s time to tune into the latest neeewws.” there’s a clearing of the radio host’s throat before he continues. “well, there’s a traffic jam starting along the motorway leading to…”

“can we tune into the music radio?” jae huffs, but sungjin glares at him, which promptly shuts up the other. well, okay then.

“...and- oh  _ wow _ .” jae furrows his eyebrows at the impromptu commentary from the radio host. “ahem, i mean- park jaehyung, world-renowned singer-songwriter based in seoul, has been reported to have  _ kissed _ his bodyguard in the costume music fushion night of 2018 in just this past hour. rumour has it that the two have been reportedly dating for some time now, seeing the closeness of the both of them tonight. reporters are awaiting for mr park’s response to tonight’s events.”

to say that jae is dumbfounded is an understatement. with his heart practically leaping out of his chest, he leans back in the seat, wishing for the leather chair to swallow him whole. with that, sungjin twists the knob to lower the volume. at the next red light, he scribbles something else on the paper before handing it to jae.

_ the situation is more complex now. stalker will be tougher to find. _

leave it to park sungjin to have given  _ jae  _ of all people the upper-hand and figure out a way for their escape. stupid, stupid, stupid jae and his stupid, stupid, stupid hormones. can’t even keep his hands to himself anymore at this point. well, look who’s a goner now.

 

**_______________**

 

as they exit the car, parked into jae’s driveway, jae’s about to move from his seat when sungjin gestures for him to stay. baffled, the man watches as his bodyguard reaches under jae’s passenger seat - and yanks out a small circular device, attached to the leathery underside of the cushion. sungjin gives it one look, before digging around in the glove compartment. “sungjin, what are you-”

sungjin rummages around in the glove box until he locates the emergency water bottle jae put there a while back, uncaps it, and drops the circular device. a red light blips in its centre before fizzling out. “bug.”

“that’s not a _bug_ -”

“-a listening bug,” sungjin shoots jae a _ really? _ look which has jae squirming in his seat. “someone planted this in your car. somehow. and i don’t know how.”

jae frowns. “that means someone must’ve had the keys to my car. it was underneath my seat. wait-” the knot in his gut tightens. “how do you know where it was?” 

as the blood leaves jae’s face, the other man snorts. “i saw it there at a red light. i was checking the surfaces of the car when you moved your leg. the light bounced off of it. it’s not that well-hidden either. which can only mean that they want me to find it, they want us to know that the plan - well, kidnap you, capture you, whatever it is - is being unfolded, slowly. the stalking case was the first of everything. this,” he shakes the bottle in his hand, where the debugged device floats about in the water, “is actually the third step. the second was at the party.”

jae’s eyebrows almost shoot up to his hairline. “i don’t get you.”

frowning, sungjin folds his arms across his chest. the other tries hard not to stare at the muscles bulging underneath the fabric of the man’s sleeves. “who was the one who took your drink order, and who was the one who gave you your drink order? why do you think i slapped the drink out of your hand, jae?”

there’s a tinge of anger, perhaps frustration, at the edge of sungjin’s rough tone, which makes jae sink lower in his seat. as if he’s being lectured by his own employee. “that was-”

“-all part of the plan.” sungjin clicks his tongue. “i saw him take a bottle of something unlabelled. dropped a pill inside-”

“-then why the  _ fuck _ did you let me take the drink?” jae bursts, outraged by this revelation. he throws his hands out into the air in exasperation. “sungjin, i don’t know if you know how things are going to go, but if you had just warned me by not slapping the drink out of my hand, by simply telling me face-to-face, i wouldn’t have had to figure out a fucking way to get us out, wouldn’t have had to kiss you, wouldn’t have had to make the situation tougher to tackle!” anger bubbles in jae’s gut. “do you know how much more difficult it’s going to be to track the guy down now? I’m going to be bombarded by the paps 24/7.”

“technically i told you that befo-”

“-oh don’t pull that card on me!” jae retorts. the thought of him being a mere few seconds close to getting drugged… he shivers internally, pushing the thought away. god. what a bodyguard he hired. he should’ve listened to jimin. hiring sungjin as his boy toy would’ve been way more effective than the dude being a goddamned bodyguard. “how do i know that you aren’t part of it all?”

now it’s sungjin’s turn to be confused. “why would it be me?”

“i don’t know, you seem to know everything about me, from what brand of foam cleanser i use to knowing where the bug was!” jae sighs, exasperated, combing a hand through his hair and knocking the hood off in the process. sungjin looks him square in the eye, and for a moment, it’s just the two of them, in the car, staring at each other and jae desperately trying to find the answers to all his unanswered questions laid, as if sungjin held the key to all those wanted answers.

tiredness begins to knock on jae’s door. he rubs his eyes. “it’s getting late. how about we just… talk about this in the morning?” he suggests weakly, waving at the bug. “what’re we going to do with it, anyway.”

“i’ll try and… dissect it. look for any clues,” sungjin utters quietly, his tone taking on a gentler register now, ever since jae’s sudden outburst. with that, jae pops the passenger door open, before letting himself out, shutting the door with an unceremonious thunk behind him and stalking off. 

neither notice the hidden bug under the driver’s seat. 

 

**_______________**

 

jae grumbles into his pillow at 2AM in his bed, his mind tossing upon the seas. he thrashes the bedsheets, curling them around his long legs as he rolls around on his bed, unable to sleep. lethargy sinks into his drooping eyelids, but every time he tries to close his eyes, the image of sungjin appears in his head again.

the image of him. his look of surprise. his thin lips. his wide eyes.

“fuuuuuck,” jae grumbles under his breath, throwing an arm over his eyes. the thoughts of sungjin can’t be dismissed, can’t be thrown out the window - like a shadow, looming over jae.

there’s a soft knock against his door, followed by a “jae? jae?”

“yes?” jae yells out, recognising sungjin’s voice. when the door creaks open, it reveals sungjin in a simple white tee, teemed with the same old grey sweatpants. the man looks much younger now with the suit done away with, his eyes just as tired as jae’s. silently, he pads over to jae, towering over the man in the bed.

sungjin wrings his hands together behind his back, hesitating before he begins speaking. “i’m sorry about the incident earlier. my mind wasn’t in the right place.”

the other sits up straight, his eyes on sungjin’s in the dim room. sparks rush up his spine. trying to ignore it, jae swallows. he feels the other’s eyes on his adam’s apple bobbing up, then down in nervousness. “i’m sorry too. for lashing out on you. and for, well.” jae flushes, thankful that it’s dark enough for the faint pink blush to be almost unnoticeable. “that. um. kiss. i hope it wasn’t your first?”

that’s when sungjin laughs -  _ really _ laughs, his shoulders rolling backwards as the contagious laugh erupts from the man’s throat, so contagious that jae finds himself chuckling, too. as his laughter subsides, sungjin seats himself down on the edge of the bed, and jae’s abruptly hyper-aware that he himself is in fact very shirtless and very close to the man he kissed only a mere few hours prior. “don’t worry, you weren’t. though i’d say you kissed better than my first kiss,” he jokes, but there’s seriousness in his eyes.

“ah.” jae wants to turn the air-conditioning down lower, but then sungjin shifts on the bed, and the heat is almost unbearable, searing through jae’s every fibre.

“you okay with sleeping by yourself tonight?” there’s no underlying teasing tone in sungjin’s words. he looks at jae warily.

jae coughs into his fist. “um, well. i probably will be…” 

sungjin’s eyes glimmer. jae swears he catches hope lying in those dilated pupils.

“... but it might rain later-”

“-yeah, i checked the forecast-”

“-heavy, right? thunder, lightning-”

“-move over,” sungjin grins, and there’s the comfort of being with someone, someone you’ve just known, someone you’ve just kissed, lying in bed with you. electric signals race like crazy up and down jae’s arm as their hands brush lightly.

(disclaimer: it’s cloudless the whole night, but jae’s not complaining, and apparently, neither is sungjin.)

as if to torture jae further, sungjin faces jae in the bed, grin still plastered across his face. “good night, jae.”

jae musters the courage to lean over. to brush his lips close to sungjin’s ear, let his warm breath fan sungjin’s neck. if he paid any attention, he’d catch sungjin shivering slightly. “good night, sungie.” him here, not in his head but here, lulls jae to sleep, leaving sungjin and sungjin’s mind racing, and sungjin’s heart sinking at the guilt of not confessing what really did stray his mind away, not confessing about the hunch he developed at the party earlier.

 

**_______________**

 

jae’s awoken not by sungjin, not by his alarm, but by the blaring horn ringtone jimin’s set on jae’s phone, insisting that she’s ‘his manager for god’s sake, you need me to keep you up to date with every little thing, i swear’. eyes bleary from sleep, jae slaps his bedside table, fumbling for his phone and swiping across the phone screen in his sleepy funk. “g-good morning?”

jae’s eardrums almost rip apart by the voice that follows. “park jaehyung, you get your ass down to the office right this fucking instance!”

startled out of his sleep, jae scrambles to sit upright. “what? what’s wrong?”

“oh, i don’t know, mr-i-kissed-my-bodyguard-at-a-party-last-night-in-front-of-a-roomful-of-people! why don’t you tell me?” and jae is a bit more awake now, startling sungjin awake with his sharp gasp.

“jae? why’re you up?” sungjin blinks at the bedside clock. “it’s 6AM-”

there’s an overdramatic gasp heard from the other line. “no. the two of you did  _ not _ wake up in the same bed-”

“-i can explain!”

“oh yes you will. the two of you. office.  _ now _ . explain everything in the car please-”

“-i almost got drugged last night!-”

“-what the  _ fuck _ ?!” jimin’s voice screeches like a banshee over the line, and jae winces in response. beside him, sungjin smothers a grin, before patting jae’s back. the warmth of the palm against the flat of his back supports him enough for him to mutter a quick, ‘okay, i’ll tell you more later!’ and clicking the  _ call end _ button. the next time he looks sungjin, the bodyguard’s wearing a huge grin on his face, one holding a sort of boyish mischief, and it surprises jae further when sungjin jerks his head to the door, laughing.

“time to meet the devil herself, am i right?”

  
  



	3. this could be something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short but sweet revelation

“how was the bug there in the first place?” jae asks skeptically as he tosses the stress ball into the air, before catching it in his hands. sprawled across the couch in the lounge room, he tilts his head to stare at sungjin, who’s stood near the doorway. he’d thrown on a tee and jeans and they’d hurried over, only to get reprimanded by an earful of park jimin and a ton of rescheduling to clear up the mass news story from the previous night. jae tries not to watch the muscles in sungjin’s arms bulge under the fabric as the latter crosses his arms. “you said the person who planted it could only have done so if they had the keys.”

sungjin pads over, humming quietly as he ponders over it. “actually… there’s a hunch i’ve got.”

“well, about time you decided to spill it aloud for us-”

“-someone bumped into me last night.” sungjin frowns. “and then a few minutes later he bumped into me again, muttered something. but…” his voice trails off as he hesitantly glances down at the floor.

jae huffs. “sungjin, i hired you as my bodyguard, not as a secrets-keeper. but what?-”

“-jae?” sammy is a blur as he bursts into the lounge room, trolley in tow. the clinking of shampoo bottles and perfume bottles and makeup equipment resound as the sammy rolls the trolley over to where jae’s sat on the couch. “jimin’s scheduled an interview with you to clear things up. it’s happening in,” he furtively casts a glance at his watch, “an hour. very last-minute. i was about to drop my rainbow bath bomb into the tub when she called!”

jae exchanges glances with sungjin, but the latter’s eyes are elsewhere. jae sighs. “okay. fine. what am i supposed to say, though? i can’t cover anything up.”

sighing, sammy swivels around to face jae, armed with a fluffy white robe. “well, ask jimin that. i’m only here to clear up those eyebags of yours and make your ugly face pretty.” he laughs when jae pokes his tongue out at him. “c’mon, big fella. gotta make you extra gorgeous for the interview to save a thousand lives… or break a thousand hearts. LOL.”

 

_______________

 

sometimes jae has to admit that the glamorous life isn’t as glamorous as everyone thinks it is. basically, he became a musician simply because he likes to hole up in the recording studio by himself, going through chords and analysing lyrics and recording music simply because he likes it. he’s never really wanted cameras shoved into his face and a billion shutters blinding him the second he walks out of his car.

then again, he did sign up for this job.

as soon as he steps out of the van, at least fifty different cameras are clicking away, the sound of shutters mingled with the screams of fans at the sidelines and shouts of questions thrown at the star. beside him, sungjin keeps close, waving his arms to make way for jae down the walkway to the looming building ahead. several catcalls and whistles attempt to catch jae’s attention, but they all fall unnoticed as sungjin and jimin try and wave away the oncoming throng of people.

“mr park! mr park! can you clarify about the incident with your bodyguard last night?” one especially shrill voice overpowers everyone else’s, and the heat of the moment intensifies with a dozen more voices joining in. “mr park! look here!”

underneath the mask, jae’s lips turn downwards. he knew he shouldn’t have done that - for fuck’s sake, it wasn’t some frat party with everyone kissing everyone else. stupid, stupid park jaehyung who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. _big. sigh._

having have had enough of it, jae pulls his mask down and removes his aviator glasses, which only makes the clamour of people scream louder. he holds up a hand, and immediately the area falls silent. _at least when you’ve got some power, you can put it to full use sometimes,_ jae muses as his hand falls back to his side. “morning, everyone. i can see why everyone is interested to know what happened the previous night. may i have everyone keep their questions to themselves until after my press interview?” with that, he jerks a thumb at the building towering over all of them. “many thanks, guys, love y’all, see ya.”

with that said, he jams the sunglasses back on, yanks the mask over his chapped lips and strides off to the building, only the sound of cameras clicking heard behind him until he enters the building and the glass door swivels close. jimin shows jae a thumbs-up, while sammy grins at him with his signature gummy smile.

behind him, a hand comes down firmly on his shoulder. warmth emanates into his skin as sungjin squeezes his shoulder. “good job,” he hears the ghost of a familiar smile behind him, and then jae finds himself unable to push the grin away from his lips. thank goodness for masks.

the troupe of them take the elevator up to the third floor, the lounge room, and the second jae walks in the familiar sound of shutters goes off rapidly. _click click click click click._ they go off like explosives, the lights ablaze as jae pulls his mask down and awkwardly waves at the cameras. thankfully, the journalists are more than respectful, keeping their asses on their seats as jae makes his way down the aisle and to the table at the front of the room.

a familiar figure with a friendly smile stands to greet and shake jae’s hand. “mr park, it’s an honour to have you here,” he claims, and jae remembers a name at the back of his head. bernard park, who interviewed him on the radio previously a few months back. grinning, jae firmly shakes his hand back before seating himself down.

jimin and sammy take their seats behind the sea of cameras and flashes and eager faces, hungry for answers. sungjin takes guard near the door, but watches from a distance. when their eyes meet, jae swears he catches a mischievous glint passing the other’s eyes, but it’s gone within a split second.

“shall we begin?” bernard asks, to which jae nods tentatively. it’s okay, it’s gonna be fine. he just needs to jump over this hurdle and get everything done and sorted with. jimin had dragged him to the powder room to prep him and run him through his lines before arriving here.

still, jae finds himself clenching at his slacks as he plasters a winning smile at the cameras (which, he hope, doesn’t look too strained. god forbid the photos circling the net in just a mere hour or two). “good morning, seoul! here today we have world-renowned singer-songwriter park jaehyung with us today; give him a warm welcome, everybody.” polite applause rises from behind the cameras, but clearly the smiles on everyone’s faces only scream tell us the truth.

“hello, morning bernard,” jae greets.

bernard flips through several papers on the table set between them. “well, mr park. firstly, thank you for coming here on such short notice. it’s an honour to have you here.”

_well, park fucking jimin practically shoved me into the car here._ “haha, it’s my pleasure.” _pleasure my ass._ “i would’ve been surprised if no one was asking questions concerning last night.”

titters of laughter erupt from the crowd. bernard chuckles in response. “and that brings us to our question of the day, no? so, mr park, i’m just going to be blunt about this, about something we have all been dying to ask since yesterday: what happened last night? who was the mystery man you kissed?”

it’s as if all the air is sucked in, inhaled by everyone in the room. jae feels like he’s holding his breath as he digs into the lines jimin had shoved into his head earlier. “ah, yes. that. firstly, the public knows of my sexuality since the day i debuted today.” wait, shit, what comes next? for a moment jae sits shock still there, racking his brain for the next line.

_do i talk about the bodyguard thing first? or the drunk part?_ he furrows his eyebrows furtively, his mind racing. bernard stares at him hopefully. “yes, jae. we have certainly come to terms of your sexuality. how does that explain last night, though? sorry if this is harsh on you.”

_does it not look harsh on me?_ jae wants to scream, but the words are lodged in his throat. if he casts his gaze sideways, he would’ve caught jimin’s bugged eyes and sammy facepalming himself. sweat pours from his scalp. “you see…”

it’s as if everyone in the room leans closer to hear. you could’ve heard a pin drop onto the tiled floor.

“you see…” fuck you park jaehyung. actually, really, fuck you. “uh, well.”

bernard wrings his hands together on the table. the other man catches the former cracking his knuckles impatiently now. “yes?”

_spit it out!_ “i’m in love with someone.” no. that’s not it. what did jimin say it was again? he should really just shut his mouth, but those lips deemed kissable by the entire population of south korea keep blabbering on. “yeah. i’m in love with someone. and he’s nice and caring and super protective even though he gets mad sometimes but he’s still strong and courageous and does things the way he wants them.” _no, no, no, no, no_. “last night was a misunderstanding but i don’t deny it.”

there’s a hush. and then the whispering begins, words hissing all around the crowds. even bernard looks shocked himself. when jae finally musters the courage to peek a look at jimin, she’s waving her arms out in the air, mouthing something that looks like what the fuck?!

bernard blinks. “so, um. congratulations, jae. wow. this is… this is news. but how does this - how does this correlate back to your, um, loved one slapping your glass out of your hand last night before the kiss?”

_you started this story, you’ve got to get it flowing_. “he was, well. he was aiming to hold my hand but he’s super strong. yeah, he’s super fit. and he, uh, y’know how some people just don’t know their own strength? yeah. like, he just, fwoosh, and smash!” to add some element of reality to his currently horrendous lie, he makes dramatic gesticulations with his arms flailing about by his sides. “the glass just slipped out of my, um, slippery fingers and fell onto the floor. um. yeah. he’s just super unnaturally strong and totally missed the hand-holding. we didn’t wanna go, uh, public, y’know? yeah.” at this point, his tone is wavering, as if he’s trying to convince himself.

despite the hesitant words strung together into a hopeless story, the reporters and cameras are now a thrumming in the room. bernard nods his head. “well… very interesting! very interesting indeed. why didn’t you want to go public about it, though?”

_how is anyone buying this shit?_ jae wonders in awe. maybe he’ll just keep rolling and see where this ends up. sounds like a park jaehyung thing to do, no? “oh, nardie, you know how society is so skeptical about this. we didn’t want controversial stories or the like.”

bernard nods his head. “well, thank you so much for enlightening us today about you and your, how shall i put this? your newly established relationship-”

“-a year and a half now-”

“-newly _discovered_ relationship,” bernard almost chokes on air. “mind i praise you on your hiding skills. indeed impressive. well, that’s all for today, folks. thank you for being here today-”

“-my absolute, delightful pleasure.” jae forces his chesire cat smile. as he stands, his knees are wobbly and he would’ve lost his footing if bernard hadn’t caught his arm in shock. he practically shakes in convulsive jitters as he steps down from the raised platform, only to be swarmed by dozens of cameras and mics. forget the stampede of reporters earlier outside the building; this group gives zoos a run for money.

“jae! mr jae! when did you meet your boyfriend!”

“mr park! when’s the marriage?”

“oh my gosh! jae! i love you!”

immediately, sungjin is striding over to jae’s side, waving his hand for people to make way, and surprisingly, they do so easily. for a moment, jae’s in awe until he realises that they have realised that sungjin is his… boyfriend. of one and a half years. super strong and fit. what the fuck.

“mr mysterious boyfriend of jae park! how do you feel dating the hottest man alive as of august 2018?!” someone screeches, and the cacophony of questions surges again, until they’re out the door and down the hallway, making their way into the powder room.

jae doesn’t dare to look at sungjin in the eye, even when jimin and sammy strut into the room, their exasperated expressions etched all over their faces. when jae locks eyes with his manager, he’s ready and prepared for hell to freeze all over him.

to his surprise, he finds jimin plopping herself down onto the couch beside jae, her eyes softening. “jae, jae, jae,” she sighs. she’s not mad, jae realises. frustrated. “what am i going to do with you?”

“i’m sorry,” jae scratches the nape of his neck. “i just… your words… i totally forgot them. poof. gone from my head.”

sammy produces a comb, threading a hand through jae’s hair. “you poor soul. the stalker will be very, very tough to catch now. and if anything, if your stalker really is desperate to get their hands on you, you’re barrelling straight towards your impending doom at the moment, my friend.”

the singer-songwriter clenches his pants tightly in his curled fists. “i’m sorry! i couldn’t think of anything logical other than that,” he sighs shakily.

“well, your story is slightly more believable than mine wherein you just state that it’s a misunderstanding.” ah, there it is. jimin’s storyline. jae finds himself forcing a smile from his smile, but the ghost of laughter still tickles his throat. “don’t worry too much, alright? i won’t schedule any interviews. i’ll turn them all down from now on. we need to focus on getting the stalker down before your comeback, and before anything gets too out of hand.”

beside him, sungjin is silent, and jae realises how much of a pressure he’s laid onto his bodyguard-turned-fake-boyfriend’s shoulders. he swivels around to face the other. “sungjin, look, i’m sorry-”

“-you don’t have to apologise,” sungjin mutters under his breath, so quietly that jae almost doesn’t catch it. the former folds his arms across his chest. “if it’s for your benefit, it’s fine. our main goal is the stalker.”

“b-but-”

“-but?” sungjin arches an eyebrow. there’s a kind of mischief behind his eyes, which shocks jae, especially when he parts his lips to add, “but now i’m your boyfriend of one and a half years?”

despite the situation, jimin cracks up. sammy almost spits into jae’s hair. flustered, jae blinkblinkblinks. “n-no, i didn’t mean that, i-”

“-but now i have to play the part, no?” sungjin smiles softly, and it’s endearing, really, until sammy’s comb gets stuck on a frazzled strand of hair. jae yelps in pain, as sammy tears the comb through his hair, and of course the three around him laugh in his upsettingly sad demise.

 

_______________

 

“what were you trying to tell me earlier?” jae asks sungjin as the both of them walk down the hallways. jimin’s left to arrange for the car and sammy’s chatting with one of the stylists in the building. the sound of their shoes squeaks against the marble floors, the only sound evident in the still air of the second floor.

sungjin hums. “i was about to tell you about the person who bumped into me the other night.”

“ah,” jae nods his head. “so? who is it-”

“-mr park.” surprised, jae swivels around to find brian emerging from one of the powder rooms lining the hallway. the light falls soft on the latter, dressed in a white shirt tucked into faded whitewashed jeans, glinting off of his hoop earrings. breaking into a grin, brian begins to walk over to where jae’s stood rooted to the spot. “lovely to see you here.”

jae blinks. his heart pounds at the sudden remembrance of yesterday night. “y-yeah,” he replies. “coincidence, huh.”

“no, i was scheduled for an interview. it’s happening in a bit,” brian pipes up. he stops several inches away from jae, hands dug into his front jean pockets. “i saw your interview, though. congratulations on your… relationship.” his eyes wander from jae to sungjin and his expressionless face, back to the former. “i didn’t realise. i’m sorry if i stepped out of line last night. i feel awfully guilty now.”

a laugh itches his throat, and jae forces it out. “no, no, don’t be.” shit, sungjin’s his boyfriend. playfully, jae loops an arm around sungjin’s, which surprises both the bodyguard and the other singer in the hallway. “please, sungjin… uh, sungjinnie? yeah, sungjinnie’s terribly okay about you, aren’t you, baby boo?”

instead of a response, sungjin glares up at jae, his eyes screaming what the hell. when jae squeezes sungjin’s arm a little, he clears his throat. “yeah. i’m good about it.” his voice sounds choked, strained. brian arches an eyebrow.

“well, i hope this doesn’t deter my plans of a collaboration between the both of us,” brian suddenly adds. stunned, jae’s eyes widen in response soundlessly. “oh, i didn’t tell you. silly me.” brian smiles softly, runs a hand through his hair. “i was hoping we could meet up one of these days? and we could discuss about writing a song together. it’d be an honour to work with you.”

“yeah,” jae nods his head frantically. a collaboration with _the_ youngk, _the_ kang of all kangs? it’s a fucking dream come true. “yeah! totally. you can hit me up whenever.”

brian stifles a snort. “you’re the one holding my number, jae.”

a red blush of embarrassment creeps up his neck, warmth tickling his skin. “yes, yes. forgot, haha. wayyy too much going on in my life right now. y’know, yeah, i’ll check with my manager and see when we could arrange a timing and a date? that would be terrific. yes. totally.” before jae can ramble any further, the arm around his squeezes. and with so much force that jae has to hold his breath from the pain shooting up his bones.

an amused expression is scrawled across brian’s face. before he turns and walks off back into the powder room, brian signs off with a casual, “well, thank you for your time, jae. i hope to see you soon.” there’s the winning grin again, before it disappears altogether with the person behind a closing door.

bedazzled, jae sighs deeply. “a collaboration with the one and only youngk! sungjin, wow, this is incredible-”

his mouth is covered by a warm palm. shocked, jae glances at sungjin, who drags the both of them down the hallway and around a sharp turn, emerging before the elevator. with his hand still over jae’s lips, his other thumb jams the down button. jae tries to speak, and yet sungjin’s eyes remain glaring at jae, all the while until the elevator doors slide open with a creak.

the second they’re inside, sungjin punches the close door button and presses the ground floor level. he removes jae’s hand from jae’s lips. bewildered, jae sputters, “what was that, sungjin? y’know, if anyone saw us in that hallway, that definitely would _not_ have looked like a lover’s spat! then the media would go around with headlines screaming 'newly discovered relationship already in crisis?' 'infamous kiss goes down in flames?' seriously, sungjin, you said you’d willingly play the part of being my boy-”

“-it’s him.”

jae blinks. “what? what do you mean ‘it’s him’?” he blurts out loud.

the creaking of the elevator slows to a halt as they level off. the doors slide open noisily, but neither of them step out. as the seconds tick by, sungjin’s pleading eyes say it all. no. _no_. “the stalker. it’s brian kang.”

 


	4. everybody’s looking for a love to start a riot

“good afternoon, folks, and you’re tuning in to _ktalk radio_ ! up next we have one of the nation’s most widely versatile voices, youngk, with his hit song, _somehow_!”

the melody tunes in and out of jae’s conscience as sungjin maneuvers the car down the streets, jimin at the passenger seat and sammy seated arm-to-arm with jae at the back, the both of them equally shell-shocked to say anything more. the silence is awkwardly broken as sungjin clears his throat. “it’s not… it’s a hunch. but, think about it. the fact that he was at the party, and he bumped into me. twice. and how much of a coincidence is it for him to be in the same building as you at the exact same time?” sungjin prods.

“maybe he had the interview that he said he was having,” jae points out from the backseat. “maybe he was telling the truth, and it really was a coincidence.”

jimin turns around from the passenger seat, her eyes on her phone screen. “i just texted bernard. no other schedules for today in the building except an interview with some group called say six in the evening,” she pipes up, her voice somewhat cautious. she peers up to check jae’s shocked expression.

“but sensibly thinking, why would _he_ be stalking _me_ ?” jae purses his lips together. “we’re both grown adults and we’re both part of the music industry. sure, it makes sense with some obsessive fan was stalking me, or perhaps a hitman, but why _youngk_ out of all people? he even wants to collaborate with me on a song!”

for a moment, silence hangs over the four of them, until sungjin clears his throat again. “what did he tell you last night at the party?” sungjin presses.

jae furrows his eyebrows together. “he was flirting with me, saying that he had been thinking about me since after we met the first time backstage. that’s the only thing i clearly remember,” he replies, to which sammy jabs his rib and whispers, “only because you got hella flustered by it.”

if jae had been sitting at the passenger seat, he would’ve noticed sungjin’s grip tightening on the wheel, knuckles evidently white. “he’s probably obsessed with you,” he grits his teeth together as the vehicle makes a sharp left. “wants to know more about you or whatever,” he adds.

“still doesn’t make sense,” jae retorts. “i don’t understand. maybe he lied about the interview because he didn’t want to come off as weird if he wanted to see me just because he wanted to ask for a collaboration. and it doesn’t explain anything about the bug in the car!”

jimin inhales sharply. “what bug?”

the vehicle halts to a squeak at the traffic light. sungjin swivels around momentarily to eye jae. they hadn’t had time that morning to discuss about the listening bug that had been planted and discovered by the both of them last night. jae chews on his lower lip, guilt written all over his features. “uhhhhh, well, about that…”

“... someone planted a bug under the passenger seat last night,” sungjin finishes off for jae, thankfully. “i assume it’s youngk, or brian, or whatever the hell his name is, because it was _him_ who bumped into me last night at the party. i had the keys in my back pocket, and it’s safe to say that my pants weren’t exactly very fitting-”

“-but he was dancing with me!-”

“-no, doofus, i meant when you were alone at the bar counter. after he bumped into me, i lost him. the next time i saw him, he was dragging you out to the dance floor.” sungjin sighs noisily, and jae dismisses how he’s called his own employer a ‘doofus’. something he can touch on later, but for now, his brain spirals with theories as to who really is the stalker, and whether sungjin might be onto something or not.

eventually, they pull up to the office building through the back gate so as to not stir up any attention after the fake news. jae hops out of the van, baffled as ever. he needs time to digest this. he never knew that signing a piece of paper to write songs and make music would’ve led him to a case so twisted it could make his blood curl. “i’m heading to the recording studio,” he mutters. “i want to listen in on the title track again.”

“you can’t change it anymore, remember?” jimin pipes up. “you’ve submitted it already. but whatever. i’ll come and get you for the meeting for the music video at three, okay?” there comes no response, however, because jae is already trudging into the building with his head swirling with thoughts.

sungjin trails behind the other, following jae hot on his heels all the way up the stairs to the second floor and down the hallway. doors to the recording studios, dance studios and band practice studios line along the whole corridor. jae stops short in front of the empty recording studio before wrenching the door open and stepping inside.

the door clicks behind sungjin, and the second it does, jae lets out a long, exhausted groan. he flops into the roller chair at the desk, twirling around and around and around. he leans his head back, every fibre of his body tired and depleted of energy. “i don’t get what’s going on. i don’t _want_ to get what’s going on,” he whines. his glasses slide down the slope of his nose as he sits upright, and he pushes them back up. he glances at sungjin, who’s stood by the door. “do you get what’s going on?”

his bodyguard shrugs. “like i said. it’s a hunch, but you’re not believing me-”

“-because it’s a terrible hunch!” jae throws his hands up into the air in exasperation.

slowly, sungjin sinks himself into the couch near the door. his expression darkens slightly. “y’know,” he begins, his voice rumbling, like waves battering against rocks by a lonely beach, “if you actually tried to think things through and accept reality, maybe we might work out who the stalker is, instead of denying things. assuming people is wrong, yes, but at times like this, don’t you think that everyone’s a suspect?”

shocked, jae’s jaw almost clatters to the ground. “sungjin, i’m your freaking _employer_. are you actually trying to talk back to me? i’m literally older than you-”

“-one, _jimin’s_ my employer-”

“-there he goes again, cutting me off-”

“ _-two_ ,” sungjin enunciates. his eyebrow twitches a little. “i think it’s time you open your mind, jae. just because youngk is rich and handsome and famous doesn’t mean he has zero bad intentions.”

sighing deeply, jae rubs his forehead with his thumb and pointer finger, willing the headache away. “fine, fine! just… let’s take things one by one. starting from the party yesterday.”

when he peers up, he catches a sliver of a smile framing sungjin’s thin lips. “what? what’re you so happy about, huh?” jae pokes, but his tone isn’t accusatory, instead bordering playful.

“nothing,” sungjin shakes his head slightly. “just glad that you’re willing to… open up your mind a little. anyways. yesterday’s party, we have to address several things: the keys to the car, the bug in the car, the poison in the drink.” he cracks his knuckles, his eyebrows knitting together. “clearly, the bartender who dropped the pill in the drink was a henchman. the keys-”

“-are you sure that it was youngk?” jae interrupts. “like. the place was dark. it might not have been him.”

the bodyguard frowns. he places either hand on a knee, hunched over as he’s enraptured in his thoughts. “i’m quite sure it was him. the hair slicked back. the cape. everything gave it away that it was him. and then the bug. it explains the bug and how he could’ve taken the keys from my pocket, went to place it in the car.”

“and now the thing is, why?” jae quizzes, suddenly realising how awry that little detail. “why would he put a bug in the car for? is he trying to track my movements?”

“possibly,” sungjin muses, but clearly he’s mulling over the thought himself. how obscure the little object is in the plotline of the story - it simply doesn’t add up, and neither of them can figure out way.

all of a sudden, jae’s phone buzzes in his front pocket, startling the both of them back to reality. “it’s probably jimin reminding me about that damned meeting again,” jae chuckles, sliding the mobile phone out of his jeans pocket. however, the second his eyes land on the screen, he chokes on air. fuck.

no. _way_.

 

**unknown**

hey jae! this is brian!

 

noticing the sudden paleness of jae’s face, sungjin scrambles to his feet and shuffles over. he leans over the roller chair to scan the contents of the screen. as jae unlocks his phone, another message pops up. _ding!_

 

**unknown**

sorry if it seems creepy LOL. couldn’t help myself

 

_ding!_

 

**unknown**

sammy gave me your no. i caught him near the toilets. haha.

 

“this is undoubtedly, very fucking creepy,” jae mumbles. a shiver runs down his spine, like a dart grazing through the air and hitting bullseye. above him, sungjin’s breaths are steady, tickling the shell of his ear. he ignores this as he mulls over the messages. “did… did sammy actually give youngk my number? why’d he do that without my permission? he’d never…”

sungjin bites down on his lower lip, a clear sign of anxiety over his face. “i don’t know. this is getting weirder and weirder,” he murmurs.

_ding!_

 

**unknown**

you know i see you reading, right? XD

 

“answer him,” sungjin insists, and jae does.

 

**you**

oh, hey! sorry. was a little surprised

what’s up, brian?

 

**brian/youngk**

hey hey. sry i was getting a little eager

about the collab thingie

do you think we could meet up tomorrow or smtg?

 

**you**

uhhh depends on the timing i guess?

 

**brian/youngk**

_typing…_

 

“this is getting me real antsy,” jae mutters irately. he barely even takes note of the perspiration beginning to dot his forehead, until sungjin brushes one droplet of sweat off of his hairline. his face turns a shade of red - the memories of last night are still fresh in his mind, and the gesture is so intimate jae would’ve turned around and kissed sungjin if there hadn’t been another _ding!_

 

**brian/youngk**

oh! i’ve got some shit to clear up in the day

how bout 8pm @ dina’s diner?

 

a look of apprehension dawns upon sungjin’s face. “no way in _hell_ are you accepting that,” he snarls, reaching out to pluck the phone from jae’s fingers. but jae’s agile, darting out of sungjin’s reach and stumbling out of the chair. he loses his footing momentarily, regains it, stands upright. his eyes land on sungjin, his worried eyes and lips curled into a frown.

the look on jae’s face already speaks the words caught in his mind. “sungjin…”

“you’re not going,” he confirms once again. he shakes his head. “that’s way too risky. dina’s diner is at the outskirts of this fucking city, and you dare to go there?”

“you could come with me! we don’t have to tell jimin or whoever,” jae pleads. he presses his palms together in a prayer. “please, sungjin - this is our chance to find out if youngk is the stalker or not-”

“-no!” sungjin roars back, his voice reverberating throughout the room. his chest heaves with the syllable, and it shakes the thoughts in jae’s mind. the silence that comes after strikes like a hurricane over the both of them. biting down on his lower lip, sungjin shakes his head furiously. “no. even with me there, we don’t know what’s going to happen. and remember, no involving the police - it’s only going to stir more trouble and make it harder for us to track the stalker down. what happened this morning is proof enough.”

“sungjin…” jae begs, his voice hoarse. it cracks at the last syllable and for a second, jae sounds broken and lost. he doesn’t know what’s going to happen if he accepts, but his heart is practically bursting out of his chest with the longing to finish this case and get it over and done with. “c’mon.”

for the _nth_ time, sungjin shakes his head. “too dangerous. you’re supposed to stay low, stay safe. besides, let’s say youngk’s not the stalker - what will the paparazzi think of you seeing youngk out alone? that will stir up yet another scandal, headlines screaming how it’s unprofessional of the both of you to meet so late at night, getting dinner just to discuss about a song to be written together.”

“someone sounds jealous,” jae shoots back - yes, it’s childish, and yes, it’s stupid, but does that stop jae from spitting it aloud? no. not when sungjin sighs, strides over to where jae’s stood, and wraps his arms around jae’s lanky body.

jae’s brain stops functioning.

sungjin places his head on the crook of his shoulder. a sigh, a soft sigh of exasperation or annoyance or relief, jae can’t pinpoint. when sungjin pulls back, he keeps his hands firmly planted on jae’s shoulders. his eyes are wide and dark, glistening with something jae can’t seem to decipher very well. “i’m really worried about you, y’know. i’m not even talking about it on the fact that it’s my job to keep you safe to get paid. i’m sincerely worried for you.” he chuckles. “it’s only been three days of me knowing you, really knowing you, but i’m genuinely worried for you, jae. i’m-”

“-shh-”

“-wait, i’m _talking-_ ”

“-well, i’m telling you to stop.” jae grins, before leaning in to slowly brush his lips against sungjin’s. the latter stiffens slightly, his grip on jae’s shoulders tightening a little, before relaxing - and then sungjin kisses back gently. it’s a chaste kiss, just tasting, not the teeth-colliding kind like last night, one made out of rush and anxiety. this one is slower, more cautious, more genuine.

when jae pulls back, it’s almost as if he sees stars dotting the night skies of sungjin’s dark eyes. “sorry for worrying you. it’s like, your first job and you’re stuck with me and my stupid decisions and everything in less than a span of a week,” he chuckles, shaking his own head.

one of sungjin’s hands reaches out to cup the back of jae’s head. their foreheads touch each other, and sungjin grins. “i’m not so iffy about worrying if i’m worrying about you,” he admits, and it’s probably the cheesiest line in sungjin’s book (or in anyone’s, for that matter), but jae simply giggles and gently kisses sungjin again.

they definitely would’ve started grinding on each other on the couch (or, perhaps, in jae’s dreams) when the door to the recording studio is thrown open. “jae? sungjin- oh for _fuck’s_ sake!” jimin screeches, her voice piercing through the air. immediately, they jump apart from each other, jae’s ankle hitting the leg of a table.

“ow, fuck!” jae wails, clutching his foot. sungjin hurries to set jae down on the couch. before the both of them, jimin is stood frozen at the doorway, her lips parted almost permanently if she hadn’t moved them approximately twenty seconds later.

“i… was not expecting that,” she cringes. “i now regret my decision of getting the two of you to the meeting myself. dumbass jimin, you could’ve fucking texted!”

“no, no, we’re sorry,” jae gripes.

jimin clasps her hands together. her face is scribbled across with a thousand emotions jae has never before seen, some of humiliation, some of exasperation of some sort, others too difficult to put into words. “meeting’s in five minutes,” she spits, and is about to shut the door when jae calls out for her.

“where’s sammy?” he asks.

jimin frowns. “he said something about a family emergency the moment we reached the office. why?”

jae and sungjin exchange worrying looks. “nothing, just wondering,” sungjin pipes up.

jimin nods, before shutting the door behind her. the second the click is heard, sungjin turns his attention to the other, whose face says it all. “do you think…”

“... youngk forced it out of him?” sungjin adds earnestly.

jae shakes his head. “i honestly don’t know anymore,” he confesses sheepishly.

the corner of the other’s lips curl upwards slightly, a sad smile. he pats his lap, and for a second jae thinks he’s dreaming. he’s apparently not, for jae clambers onto sungjin’s lap on the couch, a leg splayed out on either side. his hands press lightly against sungjin’s chest to balance himself - and also to make sure that this is totally and completely real. shit.

sungjin reaches up to bring jae closer to him. their lips brush each other once, twice. it’s addictive, really, when sungjin tastes like lemon water and sunshine despite his dark and brooding get-up as a bodyguard. bravely, his hands reach out to cup sungjin’s cheeks. he’s too lost in the moment to feel embarrassed about all the breathy sounds he’s making against those damned lips.

when they pull back, sungjin searches for some glimmer of hope in the songwriter’s eyes. “please don’t make me worry about you by going, though,” he mumbles.

jae gulps. hard. on the table, the phone left discarded, the screen lights up with a quiet _ding!_

 

**brian/youngk**

hello???? jae????

slightly desperate here...

 

his mind is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. but he swallows his nerves, his pride, as he musters the courage to lean in and kiss the tip of sungjin’s perfect nose. the lie comes out as easily as it comes to his head a split second later. “okay. i won’t.”

 

**_______________**

 

the next day is full of jae locked up in his bedroom, pacing back and forth, his nerves a twist and turn in his gut. his worries are marked in his creased brow, his twitching eye. knowing that what he’s doing might just make it or break it, he’s bound to be worried. he’s bound to be worried about sungjin being worried over him.

but what he’s doing _is_ going to make it, or break it. the desperation to find things out as soon as possible, when the door of opportunity is just right there flung open for him, is too much for him to bear. when the clock strikes half past seven, jae raises his mask over his lips. he dips the cap lower down over his eyes, before reaching out to raise the window open.

quietly, he slips out into the breezy evening. he hugs the coat tighter around his waist as he hops out, shuts the window, makes sure it’s locked. slips out through the front doorway with so much of a squeak.

the dipping sunset shines its rays on his glittering silver cross earring, dangling from his ear.

  



	5. but every time i look into your eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> — note : warning for triggering themes in this chapter. there aren’t any graphic themes here, but there’s a kidnapping, noticeable implications of possessiveness and subtle implications of no consent touching (unconsent? i’m not entirely sure)  
> — because i’m not sure how to properly warn you guys, i don’t want any of you to be triggered in any way possible, so if you are in any way worried that you will be affected, skip the portion from “the pain shoots straight…” until “…but all of a sudden a force comes down…” it’s a short scene so you won’t miss out too much. (it’s of when the stalker begins to reveal their true intentions for jae)  
> — i’m such an amateur with this i’m so sorry. i hope you enjoy anyhow!!!!!

in sungjin’s room, he’s just pulling his socks off of his feet when the phone on his bedside table lights up. his heart plummets to the ground. he doesn’t have to read the letters across the screen to know what’s happened.

_ subject has moved from  _ **_HOUSE_ ** _. _

 

**_______________**

 

since dina’s diner is a quite a distance away, jae has hired a cab in advance. he climbs into the vehicle at the bus stop near his house, slipping inside carefully. he’s even bribed the guy to keep the information disclosed so as not to let the news leak out to anyone - no paparazzi, no bodyguards, no managers. just him and his persistence to figure out who in the world is the real stalker.

sighing, he pulls up his phone and flicks through his twitter timeline, as per usual, when a message pops up.  _ ding!  _ jae doesn’t dare to click onto his messages, instead reading the incoming text from the notifications instead.

 

**bodybabe**

where are you?

 

fuck. jae knew he should’ve locked his door. determined not to get deterred by sungjin, jae reluctantly switches his phone into silent mode and slips it back into the pocket of his jeans. he sighs, fiddling with the hem of his sweater as the taxi meanders into and out of the night traffic. cars honk and beep all around them, lorries passing by. the beauty of the night skylines twinkle back at him, but jae’s too nervous to admire it all.

the back of his cross earring blinks red.

 

**_______________**

 

“thank you,” jae shuts the passenger door of the cab as they pull up at the sidewalk. here on the outskirts of seoul, the city is less bustling. less passers-by stroll along the walkways. the sidewalks are lined with brightly lit shops, though some seem empty, others not exactly full of customers milling about. the serenity of the night might seem soothing to others, but not to jae.

_ get yourself together, park. _

jae darts down the walkway hurriedly, his eyes on his phone screen. the diner is only a block away, according to the map he’s pulled up on his phone. overhead, the streetlights cast eerie shadows along the gravel walkway. jae ignores them as his feet shuffle along the lane, turning sharply at a corner store. 

an autumn breeze begins to pick up, and jae wraps the coat around him tighter. the night is chillier than he had presumed, an understatement of sorts, really. perhaps the chill of the night isn’t all that’s making jae’s teeth chatter together at the moment.

his hand clutching tightly onto his phone, jae lets his eyes skim his surroundings. several vehicles zoom past, several people walking down the streets. he presses his lips together. the stalker can’t possibly be anywhere near here and grab him all of a sudden amongst the people in the public right now, can they?

he puffs out a sliver of breath curling in the cold air. just as jae rounds another sharp bend, leading him up to the restaurant, a hand reaches out and grabs at the hem of his sweater. shocked, jae drops his phone, sending it clattering to the ground noisily. he’s yanked into the dark alleyway between two stores, the stink of rubbish permeating throughout the air.

he screams, but his voice is muffled by another grimey hand reaching out to cup his lips.  _ fuck _ . fuck fuck fuck. this isn’t supposed to be happening. jae tries to writhe his way out of whoever has a hold on him, but no avail. both hands reach out to cup jae’s mouth; someone else ropes his struggling feet together.

_ no _ .

“go away!” jae screeches, but it comes out muffled through the strong grip over his mouth. jae suddenly regrets not taking up karate all those years back, because some moves would really come in handy right about now. a white cloth is brought before his nostrils, and before jae can stop himself, he sniffs a whiff of it harshly.

his head spins violently, like a tornado suddenly whirling in his mind. despite struggling for what feels like forever, he succumbs to the sharp smell of it - and lets his body go limp, lets his eyelids fall.

as his body is hurriedly hurled into the back of a black plateless van, neither of the henchmen notice the blinking red of jae’s silver cross earring.

 

**_______________**

 

the next time jae peels his eyes open, his vision is swamped with darkness.

most people recover in a gradual state, slowly processing their thoughts, but jae jerks awake like a hound. snippets of the past happenings thrum in his head. how long has it been since he was taken away from that alley? where the fuck is he, even? wherever he is, all he can understand is that he’s tied to a metal chair - his ankles are tied firmly together, his hands roped behind his back.

“awake?” an all-too-familiar voice murmurs. his voice bounces off of the walls, and jae thinks this room is small, unfurnished. only him and… well.

jae pulls his lower lip in between his teeth.  _ well, i didn’t expect this plot twist. maybe i should’ve listened to sungjin after all.  _ “uh… brian? what am i doing here? or, well… what are  _ you _ doing here?” he asks. his voice is shaky as he tries to maintain his composure, but it’s tough when all you can see is darkness and every little sound irks you - like the sound of a chair’s legs scraping closer to you.

there comes a humorless laugh. “wait… i can explain. just, don’t move.”

the insistent pounding of jae’s heart thumps in his head. “you’re not gonna kill me, right?”

“no, just… i needa unknot your hands-”

“-wait, what?-”

“-i said hold still, park, i needa use my teeth-”

“-hold up, hold up! why are you using your  _ teeth- _ ”

“-will you shut up already? it’s not like i wanna be here either,” is all jae hears before he feels warm breath fanning his locked hands behind his back. something tugs on the knot there, firmly held together by thick rope. something sharp grazes jae’s left wrist, and he hisses in response. brian tsks against the rope. “that’s just my teeth, for god’s sake.”

_ is he trying to bite the rope off or something? _ jae wonders inwardly as a few more silent minutes pass by, of brian mouthing at the rope (which, jae presumes, is dirty and disgusting as fuck to taste, but he doesn’t object, not when he’s as baffled as any other onlooker as of the situation at hand). there’s an eager “yes!” as the rope falls away, the binding loosening on jae’s wrists.

instantly, jae reaches his hand out to untie the blindfold from his eyes. they take some time to get use to the dimly lit surroundings. behind him, brian is… tied to a chair - not blindfolded, but his wrists and feet are roped together, too. the room is dingey, unfurnished as he had supposed, with only a door leading to somewhere. a pipe leaks overhead, dripping water into a corner of the room.

brian looks uneasy. his shirt is wrinkled, his tie loosed, hair dishevelled. his lower lip looks red, presumably from biting on it for far too long. “uh, well. hey, jae.” 

jae blinks. this was  _ not _ the plot twist he was expecting. 

“um, weird, right? hahaha,” brian chuckles dryly. he writhes around in his metal chair. “it’d be great if you could get me out now.”

“how do i know that  _ you’re _ not the guy who set this all up?” jae sneers. the torch he’s held for brian has finally diminished - he unties the rope around his ankles and scrambles to his feet. he looms over brian in what he hopes looks furious and manly, crossing his arms over his chest. below him, brian looks up, confused.

“well, i’m currently tied up here in the same room as you, so why would  _ i _ be the one who set this all up?” brian points out, quirking an eyebrow. jae shakes his head in disbelief.

he’s not hearing the full story.

jae pushes brian’s chin up harshly, causing the other to yelp. “i want to full story. if you’re not involved, what are _you_ doing here, then?"

“okay, okay! fine! just,” brian jerks his head away from jae’s hand, choking on air. his chest heaves as he coughs. he shakes his head reluctantly. “okay! i get it! i was _kinda_ … involved.”

shock makes its way on jae’s face. stunned, he slumps back down onto his metal chair, dumbfounded. “elaborate.  _ please _ .”

brian looks at him, really looks at him. whatever little mischief left in his fox eyes is missing, the corners of his lips turned downwards as he exhales slowly. his back is slouched as he sits, as if reluctant to spit it out. “look, just… believe me when i said i didn’t think things would go this way. the thing is, i was kinda blackmailed into all this, but i’m being serious when i say that i’m not the one who thought of this whole set-up-”

“-can you just get straight to the point?” jae sputters. he runs a hand through his hair, exasperated. he’s got no time for idols-turned-culprits taking their damned sweet time to beg for mercy. “so what did you do?”

“i…”

 

**_______________**

 

to say that sungjin’s worried is, perhaps, the biggest understatement of the century. hurriedly, he paces down the walkway, eyes sharp as a hawk as they dart from side to side. his senses are heightened, in the case of any sign of an intruder. no. 

his eyes land back on his phone screen momentarily. the more time passes, the more the red dot on his screen blips. as he turns a corner, he stares dead ahead at a lane of abandoned houses. this area is a ghost town, quiet and serene - eerie and spooky to sungjin. he pushes his fears to the back of his head as he focuses on dialling the number for the police on his phone. no more of this  _ keep it from the police _ business. he may have been security before, but if he’s supposed to face a whole mob of goons, he’s going to need back-up.

“hello? yes… yeah, i need some back-up…  _ jimin _ ?”

 

**_______________**

 

“he forced me… threatened to kill my parents, my dog. jae, they threatened to kill ramen-”

“-who the fuck calls their dog  _ ramen _ ?” jae blurts, exasperated. it’s only been a mere three minutes of story-telling, and jae’s already beginning to regret ever idolising brian - he’s so aloof and dazed and brazen, completely outspoken of. jae already misses the awkward silences with sungjin, something he’d much prefer over brian’s rambling. “that’s a disastrous name.”

“well, i’m  _ sorry _ if ramen is a labrador! his fur literally looks like noodle strings!” brian retorts. judging from how hostile his expression shows, if jae had untied him, he’s sure the other would’ve lunged at him and tackled him to the floor. over his dog’s name. “anyways, that’s the gist of it. he found me, forced me to do everything. from planting that bug in your car, to flirting with you, to texting you-”

“-well, what was the bug for?” jae cuts in. 

brian clears his throat. “he wanted to track your every movement, hear what were your suspicions about it. he was certainly happy that your lovey-dovey boyfie suspected it was me. clearly you didn’t buy it, so we had another tactic - to use me as little chicken bait. guess he turned his back on me once the deed was done, because, well. here i am.” he kicks his feet a little, throwing dust up.

sighing, jae leans back against the metal chair. it squeaks against the floor. “well, why didn’t you just report it to the police? besides, they would’ve acted faster than he could’ve killed your parents, who are, mind you, halfway across the globe right now.”

brian ponders about it for a moment. “but they would’ve killed  _ ramen- _ ”

out of the blue, the door clicks open. the squeak of the door shatters the momentary silence. a figure steps in, and jae’s eyes narrow as he tries to pinpoint where’s he seen this person before.

“wait a second…”

 

**_______________**

 

ironically, the one thing sungjin hates is fighting off goons. as he punches the so-called bartender from the party that night square in the face, an audible crack is heard, meaning his fist met bone and not flesh like he’d expected. oh, well. another nose broken.

when he’d pulled up in front of the house, the dot on his screen had been blipping so rapidly it might’ve shattered the screen into half. glancing up, he’d eyed one, two, three, four guys standing guard by the door, chatting while gobbling down a late dinner of hamburgers and french fries. sungjin had meant to tiptoe around the border and enter via some backgate - but he’d had to step on a branch. the crunch of it had alerted one of them, and the last thing sungjin saw before his conscience went up in flames was a hamburger falling to the floor.

_ jae would’ve cried over that, _ sungjin muses, as he raises his leg to kick at another goon’s gut. he doubles over in pain, before sungjin sends another punch of him to the floor.

three guys down, one more to go. he feels the perspiration gather and roll down the side of his scalp, but he carries on unbothered; he sends this guy a punch in the face, then the gut - sidesteps the other’s flailing kick. the reedy-looking guy falls to the floor, and sungjin feels bad all of a sudden - this guy looks barely twenty. 

sighing, sungjin dusts the blood on his hands across the denim of his jeans before turning the doorknob of the front door. unsurprisingly, it’s unlocked. the doorway gives way to a long corridor, several doors lining it. sungjin musters up his courage before stepping into the house.

for one, it reeks. period. the stench of old age and rubbish and perhaps rats, and sungjin scrunches his nose up because ew. to think that jae might just be held hostage here out of all places. he wonders if jae’s curled up, tied to a chair and whimpering quietly in an empty room as of now. his gut flares up at the thought of anyone torturing him. 

well, that’s something he won’t feel guilty to settle.

there is a quiet sob from one of the doorways, however. sungjin checks his surroundings before twisting the doorknob open. expecting it to be jae, he gasps as a wide-eyed sammy stares back at him, his mouth taped, hands and feet tied around a chair. hurriedly, sungjin shuts the door with so much of a squeak before striding over to sammy. 

he quickly peels the tape off (much to the pain and agony of sammy, who spits onto the floor after the tape is off. “fuck you, sungjin. i would say thanks, but that hurt like a motherfucker.”)

“what _happened_ to you?” sungjin prods, reaching out to untie the rope binding his feet, then his hands. “jimin said you had a family emergency.”

sammy sighs, running a hand through his hair, which much represents a bird’s nest at the moment. “well, that’s what  _ he _ told jimin. after we came back to the office building, i went out to get some good ‘ol coffee and cookies, but this guy just harassed me out of nowhere - fucking threw me into the back of a van! i know i’m small, but seriously?”

sungjin knits his eyebrows together. “who is  _ he _ ? why’d he take you  _ and _ jae in the end?”

“oh, boy. i have no flippin’ clue myself…”

 

**_______________**

 

somewhere down the hallway, jae’s folding his arms across his chest, staring at the guy in defiance. “wow. this is some real shit building up here. how would anyone think it was  _ you _ ?”   
  


**_______________**

 

sungjin’s eyes blow wide. no. “i was sure it was youngk, though-”

“-me, too,” sammy laughs dryly. “it was him all along.”

“but then why would youngk say he was there yesterday for an interview, and then  _ he _ texted jimin saying there wasn’t? what’s with the hiccup in things?” sungjin pipes up.

sammy crosses his arms over his chest. “let’s say i was him. he wouldn’t want it to be so obvious for himself. he’d obviously pin it on someone else, wouldn’t he? someone that jae admires so much he wouldn’t believe it himself. he’s smart. he knows jae’s weaknesses and his persistence to find things out himself.”

“but-”

“-also,” sammy clicks his tongue. “how else would youngk get a powder room all to himself in that busy-assed building - if not for an insider?”

 

**_______________**

  
  


brian purses his lips together as jae scrambles to his feet. he storms up to the figure at the doorway. “why am i here? what are  _ you _ doing here? why the fuck is the stalker  _ you _ out of all people?” jae seethes. 

bernard laughs heartily. jae’s interviewer grins at him, the kind of twisted chesire cat grin that turns jae’s insides out. out of every single person possible - sungjin, brian, heck, even  _ sammy _ \- it had to be the person he’d least expected, his fucking  _ interviewer _ . god, he’d even had the nerve to sit beside him for an interview. “hi, jaejae-”

“-no one calls me that,” jae hisses at him. “especially not you.”

bernard’s grin is immoveable. from someone so warm and hearty, it should be comforting, but it’s at this point that jae realises that people always have a darker version of themselves. the most sought after actor and singer-songwriter was a part of this dastardly plan. the most renowned interviewer in the whole of seoul was a fucking stalker with too many henchmen to count. jae shakes his head. “why all this? why all the trouble just to get me here?”

“whaddya mean, ‘all this’?” bernard asks sweetly, reaching out to take one of jae’s hands. shocked, jae jumps back as if he’d just been tased.

“y’know what i mean. the drink. the bug. the stalking. the phone number from sammy. what do you gain from all this?” jae asks, shaking his head. nothing makes sense in his head anymore. why him out of all people? at this point, jae wouldn’t have been surprised if it  _ had _ been brian after all.

bernard steps slowly towards jae, and of course as the dumbass he is, jae takes several steps back. his back hits the cold wall of the room, and his breaths become more erratic as bernard corners him with a small smile - twisted as it is. “i get you, jaejae-”

“-i said  _ don’t _ call me that-”

“-get away from him, bernard,” brian hisses from where he’s tied up in his chair. at this point in time, jae’s beginning to regret not untying brian from his seat. 

“oh, really, brian?” bernard throws his head back and laughs. the sound of it reverberates throughout the room. “you were pretty helpful with getting him all the way here, weren’t you?”

“i thought you were just gonna rob him and leave him,” brian mutters irately. 

for a moment, bernard turns his attention to brian. jae eyes the doorway before him. he doesn’t know if bernard is armed, but judging from how he’s so eager to feel jae up, he’ll suspect no. he glances down to check for any bulging pockets; as he does, bernard’s beginning to ramble at brian.

“brian, i thought you knew better. what was up with ‘fame & flaws’? did you find every piece of information of someone you love for months, stalked that person for weeks and threatened a bunch of henchmen just to  _ rob _ him? c’mon, you know it better than- oh, what the fuck!” 

the pain shoots straight to his balls as jae kicks his knee there - and damn he doesn’t feel bad about it. furiously, jae tackles bernard to the ground, pinning him down - but bernard’s pretty broad, or at least, broader than jae; he easily peels jae off of him, and jae scrambles to his feet, trying to kick him down. bernard sidesteps the next punch he throws, laughing.

“c’mon, jaejae! i thought we had something-”

“-two interviews!” jae cries out, exasperated as he swings a punch at bernard. it barely grazes his shoulder as bernard throws him back against the wall. from where he’s sat, brian tries to scrape his chair closer to stop bernard, but to no avail. “two interviews! you were  _ just _ my interviewer!-”

“-c’mon, jae,” bernard pleads, leaning over to try and peck jae’s lips, but jae cranes his neck away, avoiding the other’s lips. the interviewer’s hands just graze his hips.  _ no _ . “jae, you don’t really love that silly bodyguard, do you? you love me, right?”

fuck. jae has scrolled through tweets of  _ you’re mine, jae! _ and  _ jae, when i get older, i wanna marry you :3, _ but never has he come across someone so aggressive and possessive. never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it to come from his  _ interviewer _ out of all people. “get away from me, you-”

“-we’ll get married and i’ll interview you and we’ll tell the world, alright?” bernard leans closer, but all of a sudden a force comes down onto the back of the guy’s head. he yelps, falling forward and crashing to the floor. stunned, jae peers up to see sungjin’s fierce eyes glaring down at the man on the floor. 

breathlessly, sungjin stares back at jae, leans over to cup his face. not in an affectionate way, however - he tilts jae’s head this way and that, making him yelp in response. “you okay? did he touch you? are you okay? why did you leave the house? i told you not to go already-”

“-well,  _ this _ is some shithole,” another familiar voice echoes from the doorway. surprised, all three of them (excluding the unconscious guy lying on the floor in a heap) swivel around to see jimin standing at the door, her hands on her hips as she overlooks the scene. behind her are several policemen, their eyes blown wide at the scene - a bodyguard inspecting his client, a renowned interviewer on the floor, a world-famous singer-songwriter tied to a chair and hopping around on his roped feet. 

when jimin casts her gaze on the both of them, she shakes her head. as the policemen brush past them to inspect the damage and untie brian, she strides up to them. a sheepish sammy lingers behind her. “the two of you have a looooot to explain.”

despite the situation, sungjin offers a small smile. to both jae’s and jimin’s surprise, sungjin leans over to press a breathless kiss against jae’s lips, just momentarily. when he pulls back, his eyes remain on jae’s. “wouldn’t trade the world for it.”

 

 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ve been getting a lot of guesses of who’s the real stalker. to the person who commented saying you felt it wasn’t gonna be youngk… congrats. well. half-congrats.


	6. the world gets quiet

“well,” is all jae hears as he looks up from the spot on the tiled floor he’d been staring at. he watches as sungjin leans against the doorframe. jae hadn’t noticed the split lip or the bruises on the other’s knuckles earlier in the haze of his state, but now that he has, his gut twists here and there. “we should talk.”

_ ah, yeah. about the promise i broke? _

the clock ticks midnight already, the end of an exhausting day of revelations. they’d stated their reports to the police, there’s a prosecutor to meet with, and everything else in between. to be frank, jae’s still in shock from all the events that occurred today - he doesn’t realise how tired he is until sungjin seats himself down beside jae on the bench, wraps a hand firmly around jae’s clenched fist on his lap. 

jae bites down on his lower lip, averts his gaze. “i’m sorry-”

“-no, i should be sorry,” sungjin mutters. surprised, jae turns to look at the other, the soft smile across his face. “i knew that you were gonna go. i’m sorry for not following you along-”

“-but you did later-”

“-still,” sungjin presses. his free hand reaches out to brush against the cross earring still hooked to jae’s left ear. confused, jae jerks his head backwards.

“wait a second,” jae knits his eyebrows together. “how did you…”

the grin plastered across the bodyguard’s face widens considerably. “... find out where you were? stay still,” he answers casually, before reaching out with both hands to unclasp the cross earring on jae’s ear. the singer’s eyes widen a fraction as sungjin flips the accessory around and flicks out a circular disc. the center of it blinks red. “i bought something. it’s a tracker, actually. sorry for planting it on your earring, though.”

_ god, i think i’m in love, _ jae thinks, as he leans over to give sungjin a kiss on the cheek. “you’re sorry for saving my life? terrible,” he teases. this prompts a grunt from sungjin, who hooks the earring back on. his eyes are traced with concentration, and jae tries hard not to laugh at the other’s serious expression.

when he’s done, sungjin cups jae’s cheeks carefully. he searches for something in jae’s eyes, his own eyes dark and hauntingly beautiful. “are you sure you’re okay? he didn’t touch you, did he?” he presses, lips pursed together.

grinning, jae kisses the worry away from the other’s furrowed eyebrows. “no, he didn’t. don’t worry too much about me. i’m still here in one piece, aren’t i?”

“i was worried,” sungjin admits, sheepishly. “i didn’t know if i was too late, or if i was making the wrong decision, or-”

seeing the other so worried over him makes jae’s heart lurch. “-everything’s over and done with, okay? don’t worry anymore. i’m here,” he whispers, and that’s all it takes for sungjin to look over and kiss the life out of jae (not really, but it seems like it - jae almost forgets how to breathe.)

that is, until there’s a loud clearing of a throat from the doorway. jae jumps in shock, his eyes landing on the figure with her arms folded across her chest in defiance. she sighs deeply. “when will i  _ not _ walk in on the two of you acting like this is a soap opera?” she accuses, but there’s a trace of concern in her eyes as she strides over. she plops herself down on the plastic chair facing the couch, her eyes never leaving jae’s. “you okay?”

jimin’s voice sounds sad, broken, as if too much worry has worn it away. jae nods his head. “i’m okay. thanks… for, well. being here and everything.”

“if i weren’t your manager, i would be sawing your head off right now,” jimin clicks her tongue, but mischief returns to her bright eyes now. “you should be thankful i bothered to call the house phone to remind you of the concept meeting the next morning. imagine my shock and horror when neither of you picked up the phone. i ran my ass to the police station. i was fucking  _ sweating _ !”

smothering a grin behind his fist, jae replies, “sorry. for, uh, making you sweat.” out of the corner of jae’s eye, he catches sungjin snickering behind his hand, before covering it up with a fit of coughs. jae lets it slide for now - makes a mental note to hit the other later after jimin’s gone and they’re alone.

“you should be,” jimin huffs. she runs a hand through her hair. she grins tightly. “anyways. i’ll postpone the meeting till the following day, alright? i should also discuss with the boss on tighter security measures. and i’ll arrange the interview only when you feel like it, okay? just rest at home for now, the both of you.”

she gets ready to stand, but before she does, jae blurts out, “thank you, jimin.” it’s an impulsive move, but after everything today, jae realises that without his manager, the police wouldn’t have been able to intervene on time, and everything would’ve been in shambles, really.

it surprises her for a moment, but the shock on her face melts into a grin and a small shake of her head. “don’t thank me. thank your boyfriend,” she sniggers, before traipsing out of the room innocently. this leaves jae with his mouth agape as he turns to scan the amused expression on sungjin’s face.

as soon as jimin is out of sight and earshot, jae bursts out into a nervous fit of giggles. “what… i mean, are we still fake boyfriends? i kinda, like, i don’t know, considering everything going on and stuff, i just…” jae’s mouth runs a mile a second, and is only cut off when sungjin kisses him firmly on his chapped lips.

“i think fake boyfriends doesn’t cut it,” sungjin mumbles against jae’s lips, and jae’s cheeks flush so hard the heat is a tsunami of waves over his skin. the paleness of his skin can’t seem to hide it, anyways; jae’s face resorts to a shade too red.

jae pulls back abruptly, still laughing. nerves bubble in his gut as he looks at sungjin square in the eye. “is that your way of asking if i can be your real boyfriend? you’re incorrigible.”

shrugging, the bodyguard flashes a pearly smile. “you definitely like this more than that time you got a boner when we watched that movie,” he taunts playfully, and jae can’t imagine how lobster red his ears must be at the moment. he tries to form words on his lips, which of course makes sungjin laugh. his eyes are the shapes of crescents as he laughs, thumb tracing the skin of jae’s left cheek. the smoothness of the movement makes jae’s heart thump against his chest.

annoyed, jae pouts. “you didn’t have to remind me.”

sungjin shakes his head. “as long as you don’t get a boner anymore over a dude who  _ literally _ got you into this mess,” he demands, voice feigning hurt. jae pinches sungjin’s cheek - a gesture he wouldn’t have expected himself to do to the other days ago - and presses chaste kisses upon the man’s lips. 

silence hangs over them again, but this time, for the first time, it isn’t awkward at all - it’s full of longing and wanting as the two don’t utter a word against each other’s lips, it’s full of expectations for the future, and it’s full of love built up over days of tumultuous events neither of them had ever expected themselves to get intertwined in. 

when they finally do pull back to see each other, jae thinks he can really see in sungjin’s eyes what he’s thinking - something he wouldn’t have seen only a mere few days ago. there’s a glitter of something like hope somewhere in those dark pools. attempting to try his hand, jae whispers, “what’re you thinking about?”

“it’d be cheesy if i said  _ you _ ,” sungjin chuckles, leaning back. “so i’d say that i’m thinking about how your breath stinks right now.”

it takes a moment for jae to realise this, and when he does, his jaw almost drops to the floor. 

“shut up!” jae yelps, shoving sungjin away, but sungjin’s hella stronger and easily resists the movement. he laughs, digs around in his pocket for something. he tosses a pack of mints at jae, who misses; the little box smacks his thigh instead. “fuck you, sungjin.”

sungjin’s eyes twinkle in response. jae can’t tell, but he thinks his own eyes are, too.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a short but sweet ending wrapping up all the action. suspense aside, i wanted a chapter just dedicated to the both of them :) thank you for reading this rollercoaster of a story!! tbh i never had that much confidence in writing this one but your comments and feedback on it, your anticipation to read more really, truly, pushed me to finish this asap. so thank you so much for the immense support on this li’ll guy!!~
> 
> the title and chapter titles all come from silence by before you exit ; a great song that i highly recommend <33
> 
> you can find me here:  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/softtofustew_) // [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/softtofustew_) // [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/softtofustew)


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